President Joe Biden launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump during a private fundraiser in New York last night, calling him a ‘loser’ and dismissing his business ventures as ‘vanity projects’. The remarks, caught on a live microphone, signal an intensification of the 2024 election battle as both camps scramble for cash.
Sources inside the event confirmed that Biden told donors: ‘You see his so-called success. It is all vanity. He is a loser. Always has been.’ The comment drew cheers from the room of high-net-worth supporters paying upwards of $10,000 a plate.
The attack is a calculated shift in tone from Biden’s campaign, which has previously tried to stay above the fray. But with Trump fundraising aggressively and polls tightening, the White House is now taking the gloves off. Uncovered campaign finance records show Trump’s super PAC has raised over $300 million this quarter alone, much of it from small donors but also from opaque LLCs registered in Delaware.
‘Biden is finally telling the truth about the con man in the White House,’ said a senior Democratic strategist who spoke on condition of anonymity. ‘Trump’s entire brand is built on borrowed money and failed casinos. Biden is right to call it out.’
Trump’s team fired back within hours. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: ‘Joe Biden is a desperate old man whose policies have destroyed the middle class. He calls others losers while his own approval ratings are in the toilet.’ The former president himself avoided the fray but posted a video on Truth Social saying Biden is ‘the worst president in history’.
The exchange comes as both candidates prepare for a series of must-win primaries. Biden’s campaign hopes his aggressive posture will mobilise moderate Republicans and independents who are weary of Trump’s legal troubles. But it is a gamble. Focus groups conducted by a pro-Biden PAC found that voters responding to the word ‘loser’ associated it more with negative campaigning than with Trump’s actual failures.
Meanwhile, the money trail from the fundraiser is already under scrutiny. Documents obtained by this newsroom show that a shell company based in the Cayman Islands donated $500,000 to Biden’s joint fundraising committee just hours before the event. The donation was routed through a law firm that has represented several Russian oligarchs. The Biden campaign has declined to comment on the source of the funds.
‘This is the swamp Biden promised to drain,’ said a watchdog group director. ‘If he takes dirty money, he cannot claim the moral high ground.’
The election is 18 months away, but the battle for cash is already vicious. Biden’s average donation is $50, while Trump’s is $34. But the former president has a small-donor army that Biden cannot match. That is why these high-dollar events are critical for the incumbent. Last night’s gathering raised an estimated $4 million, but the political cost may be higher if the Cayman connection blows up.
Trump’s camp is already preparing attack ads using Biden’s own words. One internal memo seen by this reporter reads: ‘Biden calls American success a “vanity project”. He hates this country.’ The ad is scheduled to air in swing states next week.
Both men are playing a dangerous game. Biden needs to raise cash without appearing to sell favours. Trump needs to keep his base fired up without scaring off moderates. And the rest of us watch as the money flows and the insults fly. One thing is certain. The 2024 race will not be decided by policy. It will be a bare-knuckle brawl over who is less of a loser. And right now, Biden is betting that the American people already have their answer.
